Corvallis
by BilkyFizzleweisIII
Summary: Her name was Bella Swan. She was "that girl". The one with the perfect boyfriend. The one with everything. When she goes to Oregon State University, will that all change? For the better maybe? Or for the worst? BellaxOc. Collab between BilkyFizzleweisIII, Harvey the Wonder Hamster and Charlie the Taco.


**Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to the story that is Corvallis! Today we will be diving into the 'what if' zone of Twilight. What if Bella decided to go to college instead of marrying Edward?**

**Note: This story takes place at the end of New Moon.**

_Basically what she's trying to say in her overdramatic way, is that this is going to end up as BellaxOc. As a side note, I'm Harvey the Wonder Hamster! Sup bros?_

**Thanks Harvey! **_Of_ course.** And if you guys don't see my username, I'm BilkyFizzleweisIII!**

_Out story is a collab between me, BilkyFizzleweisIII, and Charlie the Taco. No promises on how often we'll update, but we'll try our best._

**So, let's get on with the story! Sit back with some popcorn and enjoy!**

_And be sure to tell the voices you love them! It makes them less angry...3_

**Um...reviews are greatly appreciated?**

_:D Okay. Seriously. here's the story._

**Disclaimer: We obviously don't own Twilight.**

* * *

"I'll miss you!" Alice cried as she threw herself at Bella. The exhausted girl sighed as she was passed around the Cullen clan for the second time. In a few hours, her and Edward would be on a plane flying to Oregon for their first week of college.

It had taken many arguments to get Edward to agree, but going to college was something Bella was determined to do as a human. It would also postpone having to give a definite 'yes' on Edward's proposal. While she truly did love him and wanted to be with him forever, marriage was something she just wasn't quite ready for.

Her parents had led a whirlwind romance; one that had ended with marriage right out of high school. Then, just a few years after Bella was born, they issued a divorce, and Renee moved thousands of miles away from Charlie. Bella, although confident that Edward was her Romeo, was still terrified that repeating her parent's mistake would result in the same scary ending.

"Bella, love," Edward said. "We should leave now. Even with my driving we might be late if we don't go soon." Bella looked over at him from her position inside the circle. He had moved from his previous spot of sulking at the door and was now leaning against the side of the car, looking like some god out of a Greek myth.

Bella sighed. "You're right." Edward was an adonis and could render anyone speechless with a single glance, but even he couldn't make security checks and booking go faster. They really did have to leave then in order to make their flight on time. She slowly trudged out of the protective huddle formed by her boyfriend's family and walked over to Edward. Sending her a sympathetic and knowing glance, he reached out before she had properly gotten to him and grabbed her hand reassuringly.

"It's alright, Bella. We can visit them at any time," Edward told her as he rubbed her hand with his thumb and slipped his arm around her comfortingly.

"Of course. You two are always welcome here," Esme told them.

"Or we can come visit you," Emmett called. He smirked deviously and looked over at Jasper. "I mean, one of us has to find out when Bella-"

"Emmett, I think that's enough," Edward growled, glaring at the muscular man. "Another word and you're dead."

Emmett grinned.

"I'm already dead."

"Then I'll kill you even more."

Carlisle stepped forward with an amused yet disapproving expression on his face. "Boys, let's save the death threats for another day. Especially consider-"

"Oh!" Alice exclaimed. She jumped forward and daintily grabbed the couple, pushing them towards the car. "Leave now. You're just going to make it, and that's only if Edward takes the shortcut and runs through that red light. Now go!" Bella stumbled and grabbed the car for support. Alice may have appeared small, but she sure had some power in that little frame of hers.

They quickly got in the car, and with one last wave, drove off. Bella smiled sadly at Edward. "I'm going to miss them."

"I know," he said as the car accelerated. "But, like we said, they can come visit us or we can come back here."

Bella stared out the window at the dizzying blur of mossy trees.

"Yeah."

They drove in silence for a few minutes with the radio playing lightly in the background. Edward's hands tightened on the steering wheel. A couple of seconds later he relaxed his grip and turned slightly towards her. "You know, we don't have to do this. It's not too late to back out. We can live with our family or even move somewhere close by if you really want to move out...even Alaska could work if you want a change of scenery."

Bella had started to shake her head before he even finished his sentence. "No. I want to do this now. Now while I'm human. Not later when I'm not going to be me. I can stand missing them." I stood missing you, she added silently in her head.

"Besides, college would be too easy if I were a vampire. It should at least be somewhat of a challenge. I want the whole college experience- as a human."

She sighed when Edward didn't respond. "You're the one who didn't want to change me."

"I'm still not too thrilled with the idea, but you insist." Bella stared at him angrily.

"So now it's wrong that I want to be with you forever? You want me to marry you, to swear myself to you for all eternity, but when it comes to actually being together, you fall short." She was silent for a moment. "Are you second guessing us?"

Edward clenched his jaw. "You know I'm not. I just don't want you to regret choosing this life. The thirst and pain you have to go through is immense and it's extremely hard to control yourself."

She rolled her eyes. "That's your excuse? That I won't be able to control myself?"

"I couldn't," he said quietly. She looked away from him.

"But you didn't have me back then... You, Emmett, and Jasper can stop me from doing anything stupid, and Alice can warn us if anything's going to happen. I'll be okay," she said after a pause.

"Forever is a long time, Bella. Are you sure you want to go through seeing all of your family members die?"

She bit her lip. These were the kind of thoughts she tried to put off. "'If it means being with you forever."

Edward furrowed his eyebrows and opened his mouth to protest, but Bella raised her hand. "Just stop. This is my decision." She glanced out the window again. "Besides, if you won't turn me, Alice said she would." Edward's knuckles tightened on the wheel and he stared stonily ahead at the road, deliberately avoiding looking at her.

"You think in forty years, you'll still have the same mindset?" He asked, hoping for a no.

She rolled her eyes again. "Do you think in forty years you'll change your mind about changing me?" It annoyed her that he wanted to wait so long. She really didn't want to be sixty forever, that'd just look weird. (Not to mention awkward. Looking like Edward's grandmother would cause some serious problems in the future.)

Bella focused her eyes on the road, shifting nervously when Edward failed to respond. Suddenly, her earlier self-doubts came back. She guessed it had something to do with the fact that she surrounded herself with perfect inhuman creatures. She sighed and turned the radio's volume up higher, swaying slightly to the song playing. She might as well try to make the best of the next two hours.

It wasn't until they pulled into the airport parking lot that Edward finally stopped brooding and looked at Bella. He gave her a small, reassuring smile and reached down to hold her hand. She almost flinched at the gesture. Even though she felt his touch everyday, she just couldn't quite get used to the unnaturally cold feeling of his body.

"C'mon, love. We don't want to be late," he reminded her, releasing her hand so she could push open the door and exit the vehicle. Bella shook herself and nodded, hopping out and almost tripping on thin air.

"Damn!" She cried when she stubbed her toe into the ground. Edward caught her when she fell attempting to reach down to grab it. He kept his hand lightly on her waist as they walked towards the airport.

"Try not to die before we get there." He said, smirking to himself.

The airport looked much bigger on the inside compared to the outside. Some people rushed around to get to their destinations while others reluctantly dragged their feet to theirs. Smaller signs displayed gates, and big electronic ones constantly changed, informing those looking at it the time that each plane arrived or departed.

Bella morbidly remembered the last time she was in an airport. She was running away to save her mom...or so she thought. All the heartache came back at once of having to betray the ones she loved in order to save one other.

Edward glanced at her with a worried look on his face, almost as if he knew what she was thinking. She tried to smile reassuringly but seemingly failed as his look was doubtful.

Before they knew it, they were going through security checks and booking. Eventually, after that long process, they were sitting in the plane, waiting for it to take off. Bella tightened her grip on Edward's hand and smiled, looking at him when he squeezed back.

"We still have time." Edward noted, glancing at the entrance to the plane. "To not go, that is."

Bella leaned on her elbow. "I don't understand why you're so against me going to college."'

"Bella, love, I'm not against you going to college. I just wish you would've chosen to go to Alaska instead. It's lovely up there and there's no one I don't trust. You could meet our cousins…" He trailed off.

Bella took a deep breath. "It would be nice to go there," she started, "but I've told you many times- the full-college experience is what I want… It would be an adventure in itself. The people, the dorms, the big classes...it's what makes college college. I wouldn't get that in Alaska with a bunch of vampires." Edward slumped in his seat, a defeated look on his beautiful face.

"Besides," she added. "I need to start making decisions for myself."

Out of the corner of her eye she noticed Edward stiffen slightly. She looked up towards him and noticed a flight attendant leaning over Edward to talk to the person sitting in front of him. Her head was stretched, fully exposing her neck. Bella quickly looked away. The flight attendant made her way back into the cockpit.

"Didn't you go hunting before we came?" Bella whispered as she buckled her seatbelt.

He shook his head. Bella shut her eyes. That was stupid.

"I'm okay. I Promise. Everything will be fine," he reassured her. "I'm really not thirsty."

"And that's why you were eyeing her neck," she muttered. A tinge of jealousy laced her words. He straightened slightly and leaned back into his seat as the plane took off, an odd expression stealing his face.

Smugness was the culprit, a mysterious one that Bella had never really caught before. Was Edward intentionally trying to make her jealous? The Edward she knew wouldn't do something like that.

Eventually, she sighed defeatedly and gave up thinking about the matter, choosing to look out the window and stare at the clouds instead. She brought her hand to her chest and gently touched a silver chained locket, playing with the small clasp that held together two almost perfect hearts. She sighed and let herself go back in time.

_The Reservation was a place Bella always enjoyed. It wasn't just because some of her closest friends lived there, but the foliage wasn't nearly as overpowering. It seemed that there was a balance between brown and green, and green wasn't a color she thought she would ever get used to._

_She'd traveled to meet her best friend, Jacob. She needed to see him before she had to leave for college. Needed to reassure him that things were going to be okay. Maybe it would take a while, but eventually, everything would be._

_Taking a deep breath, Bella pulled into the Black's driveway. She pushed her door open and stepped into the slight drizzle. He was walking away from her car, totally oblivious to her presence._

_"Hey, Jacob!" She tried getting his attention before the rain became a nuisance. She sighed when he didn't hear her, and she jogged over to the garage._

_By the time she got there, he was already under a car, hard at work. She smiled and kneeled down next to him, putting her hand on his ankle._

_"Jacob," she said, expecting him to smack his head on the bottom of the car. Instead, he slid out and grinned at Bella._

_"Hey!" He jumped up and lifted the smaller girl off the ground, pulling her into a tight hug and spinning her around in circles. "Haven't seen you in a while!"_

_"I know!" She eventually pulled herself away from the hug and looked into his eyes before talking again. Her smile faded. "So… I'm leaving tomorrow."_

_He nodded solemnly. "I didn't realize it'd be so soon."_

_"Yeah. It's going to be tough, Jake." Bella bowed her head and tucked her hair behind her ear._

_"The leach...he's going too, right?"_

_Bella chewed on her bottom lip. "Yeah. I'm bringing him along with me."_

_He rolled his eyes and muttered. "Of course."_

_Bella sighed. "He's not a bad person." She looked but saw no change of expression on his face. He wasn't amused._

_"Really, he's not," she tried a second time._

_He turned his head. "I know… Hey, I don't want the last time I see you for a while to end like this. Uh, wait here." With that, Jacob casually made his way inside the corvette._

_When he reappeared, he was holding a poorly wrapped box. Bella eyed it, wondering what the tall boy had in store._

_"For you," is all he told her as the present was handed over. Bella blushed and took it from his hand._

_"Should I…. open it now?" She smiled at him. He nodded back almost impatiently, as if he wanted nothing more but to see her reaction._

_Bella turned her attention to the small, uneven parcel, trying to decide where to attack. Once she picked a corner to pull, the thick paper ripped away to reveal a black jewelry box. She opened it, and there sat a beautiful silver locket._

_She gasped silently, gently touching the two hearts._

_"Jake… It's beautiful… I don't know what to say." She looked up at Jacob._

_"Don't say anything...just kiss me." He leaned forward, closing his eyes. Bella stepped out of the way._

_"You know I… can't." Her cheeks were flushed._

_Abashed, Jacob looked up and cleared his throat. "Right."_

_Bella looked at the garage door. "I, um, actually should get going. I have a lot more people to say goodbye to."_

_To say Jacob looked disappointed was an understatement._

_He nodded._

_"Thank you so much for the locket, Jake."_

_Bella gave him a small smile before she turned around and started to walk back the way she came, locket in hand. The drizzle had stopped somewhere along the way of their meeting, and Bella was more than okay with it. It would make her departure that much easier. She was almost to the truck when Jacob yelled to her._

_"Bella?"_

_She turned his way._

_"Come back with a beating heart."_


End file.
